1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of pest control and, more particularly, to a plastic insect bait assembly, especially for ants.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous types of bait stations have been developed for attracting and killing insects, through provision of a supply of bait, normally one that is doped with an insecticide, and facilitating the application of the station at a location where it will attract and kill insects through ingestion of the edible bait. More specifically, various types of bait stations, of the type as identified, have been available for some time for attracting roaches, ants, and other type of pests.
For example, an integrally molded insect or ant bait stake is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,540,111 to Kraatz (“the '111 patent”), which is commonly owned by the assignee of the instant application. The full disclosure of the '111 patent is hereby expressly incorporated by reference as if fully set forth herein.
The ant bait stake of Kraatz is made of two halves that are essentially a mirror image of one another. Each half has an upper reservoir part and a stake segment. When the two halves are sealed together along abutting edges, the two reservoir parts form a whole reservoir that is filled with insecticide. The stake segments are also adhered to one another along their abutting surfaces to form a layered or laminated stake. The bottom of the stake is driven into the ground while the top of the stake extends slightly above the reservoir to form a top edge. The top edge provides a narrow surface that can be impacted, as by a hammer, to drive the stake into the ground. To open the reservoir and provide ants with access to the insecticide contained therein, the user must cut off one corner of the top edge to create an access channel into the reservoir.
Because the two mirror image halves form the insecticide reservoir, the seal between the halves needs to be perfect. Therefore, any defect during manufacturing that allows for a leak between the halves results in the device being unusable and a potential for harmful contamination. Further, the top edge of the stake must be of adequate stiffness and strength to withstand hammering or other application of force to drive the device into the ground. As a result, the user must rely on a separate opening device, such as a knife or scissors, to cut open one corner of the top edge.
Therefore, a need exists for an insect or ant bait stake that overcomes the foregoing drawbacks.